Once Upon A Time in Europe...

My life is a movie…

Joyce — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 19:44:44 +0000

Hello!

I apologize for not writing in… wow, say almost three weeks? I’ve been much, much too distracted by life here in Ireland. Alright, to catch you up…

We recently returned from our first adventure in Ireland as we headed to Galway. It would be a lie not to admit a part of me was hoping to run into a “P.S I Love You”-esque scene involving a pub, a band, and an extremely attractive local singer to serenade me and call me his Galway girl. Alas (Spoiler Alert!!), this didn’t happen. We were lucky enough though to see the cliffs on Aran Island, which are apparently associated with the movie “Leap Year”. Yes, I know this is a movie themed blog but I can’t help that. We also went to the Aran Sweater shops which housed some of the nicest knitted items I have seen in quite some time (they put Tyler Whitney’s knitting skills to shame…sorry Tyler!). The cliffs were immense and generally convinced me that I was on the edge of the world and if I was in a boat, there is no doubt I would have fallen off after the horizon. This led me to seriously question the supposed “spherical earth” theories as presented by Columbus, other so called scientists, and possibly the entire population in the world today. Personally, I don’t buy it. As a side note to continue on our movie mantra, these cliffs also held an cave entrance that we’re pretty sure is the same one Harry Potter find’s Voldemort’s locket in. You know, just in case you wondering. In Galway, we found the origin of the Claddagh ring that has two hands holding a heart with a cross on it. This ring began its fame in a little shop and became a big symbol of Galway when it was presented to President Kennedy in 196something. Now it has become one of the most common purity rings and if the heart faces the ringbearer, it signifies that they are single. Conversely, if it faces away from them, then they are on the prowl. I’ve posted some pictures directly on this blog, but to see the rest just click here.

The latest development of Derry is definitely my dearest best friend Molly’s visit. She arrived on Wednesday and we proceeded to shove as much of Northern Ireland as we could into her short time here. This included shopping at the local Primark (big clothes & small prices), visiting Giant’s Causeway (the most beautiful rock formations that make you truly understand the appeal of Ireland), and of course, catching up with Emma (the foreign exchange student who came to Whitworth our freshman year and currently lives in Coleraine). I shipped Molly back to Maastricht sufficiently exhausted, but it was wonderful to see her and have the quick connection to home again. Her time here possibly just made me more homesick and also wish that other people I care about would come visit (aka Taylor, Casey, Jessica, Kayla, Caitlin, Tyler, Erica, etc.), but we were both ecstatic to so easily return to our old habits and best friend ways as if no time has passed.

On the school front, I look forward to four 10 page papers, two presentations, and another two 5 page papers all due within the next month, but hopefully it will come together somehow. Next week I will be traveling to Strasburg, France for an international conference to join students from all over Europe who will come together to discuss the environmental issues of today. We will see some big wig figures such as Dr. Ronald McMahan, Vincent Carter, and Isabel Hilton. The trip is scheduled from the 10-14^th of March, so hopefully I’ll be able to regale you with some new stories from there. On a more terrifying note, I’ll soon be finding out if I have been chosen to intern for USAID. If I receive this internship, I’ll be abroad for the rest of the summer, but will also be learning some of the most relevant work experience to the job I’d someday like to hold. Please be praying for me friends!

Hope you all are safe and happy. You’re all always on my mind.

Smack Dab into “Normal”

Joyce — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 13:05:56 +0000

A little piece of Irish heaven.

Apologies for the long break in between posts, I’ve been busier than I planned on! Right now I’m just waiting for laundry to finish (as dictated by the title, I’m right back into the normalcy of day to day life which unfortunately includes change laundry machines…yay).

So I finally nailed down my schedule. I will be taking “Silent War: Global Violence and Civilians”, which is about indirect violence as a result of war, “Global Conversations”, which is about the environment and includes connecting with other students via the internet, “Globalization and New Wars”, which is about the consequences of globalization/international economies, and am auditing “The Irish Revolution: 1913-1923″, which shockingly is about the Irish Revolution. To be honest, I really love my schedule and all my classes. They suit perfectly with my career plans. However, I was talking to one of the locals in my class and he pointed out that it seems like my semester is going to be very depressing. =D Oh the joys of being a political science major.

I have finally started to settle down into a routine and am discovering more and more comforts afforded to me by the Irish lifestyle. Granted, I can’t keep up with all aspects of this lifestyle. Everything is so backwards from what I’m familiar with in the states. It seems like the students here go out Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and then relax on Friday and Saturday. Seriously, it just seems exhausting and I can only marvel at their utter resilience and dedication. We literally have a shelf just for alcohol in our fridge. Mom, if you happen to read this though don’t worry, of course it’s not MY alcohol on the shelf. (Awkward.) The simplicity of Derry though is very refreshing. Also, it’s absolutely gorgeous here as you can tell by the picture I’ve attached. You get water, and mountains, and a whole lot of green. From what I hear from my friends in Spokane, I’m sooooo lucky to be in above freezing temperature.

The one thing I have noticed though is that I really miss my family and friends. Molly recently arrived in the Netherlands for her study abroad and that has forced me into the realization that it’s been over a month since I’ve seen my mom and sister and almost two months since I’ve seen my friends. Homesickness is contagious though so I’ve forced my flat mate who is from N. Carolina into the same predicament. Misery loves company they always say. But hey, at least there is Skype. Well, my laundry ought to be finished by now. Miss you all and hope everyone is safe. By the way, if you need to send me anything, my address is below.

Joyce Merkel
Block 2 Flat 8 Rm. MP114
Duncreggan Student Village
85 Duncreggan Rd.
LONDONDERRY
BT48 0(that’s a zero)AA

Little slice of Irish Heaven.

In Transition..To Ireland and English (Finally)

Joyce — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 11:14:14 +0000

Berlin has been incredible. As a political science student as well as an economics student, the possibilities to apply my major are splattered about the city in heaps and globs. Whether it be standing over the cobblestone border which used to form the Berlin Wall or watching Fashion Week unfold as the city continues its battle to climb out of debt, it seems that Germany was made for me. I must also admit that the book I have been reading by Karl Polanyi, The Great Transformation (as per suggested by Richard Dadzie.. kudos to him by the way), has been that much more impactful as I am actually physically submersed in the setting of the book. The rise and fall of history’s journey to our current economic state is echoed in the streets. I won’t dive too much more into that since I know not everyone gets as high off of econ/politics as I do. In any case though, I have been able to visit the Jewish History Museum, the Flick Museum, the Topography of Terror, the German Resistance Memorial, the Jewish Memorial, the Musical Instrument Museum and, of course, Kadeve (the largest department store on the continent….!). Needless to say, with over 2100 employees and 380,000 items for sale, I think I could have settled down into one of the king sized beds for sale and lived quite happily for some time without ever leaving the 3rd story.

So tomorrow morning at 5:30 AM I will be meeting a cab driver to head over to the airport and depart to London where I will continue to Belfast and hunt down a bus which will take me to Derry City. I must say, if nothing else, I am so thankful to have taken this Janterm trip as I am now so comfortable handling the crazy lifestyle of public transportation. I’ll pick out classes on Monday morning which apparently are designed to consist of a single 1-3 hour session, once a week. I am only allowed to take 3 classes here so if I play my cards right… I might only have class on two days a week. Compared to the normal 17-19 credit semesters I normally take at Whitworth, this will be very, very strange. Let’s hope for the best!

Apparently ‘some like it hot’…

Joyce — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 21:11:50 +0000

La cita eterna! Oh Rome and I suited each other well. We were lucky enough to stay in a hotel that was literally 2.7 minutes from the Colosseum. Waking up to something so monumental everyday was such a blessing and never got old. It was so strange to see Rome’s citizens stroll past these giant historic buildings without a second though. Then again it was even more strange to see men dressed up like Roman soldiers and pavement vendors selling 5 inch mini-tripods so I suppose I’m no judge. We were lucky enough to see the Vatican museum and attend church at St. Peter’s Basilica. The Sistine Chapel was immense and so detailed. The emotion of each
character was clear and the thoughtful depth of every inch of fresco was brilliantly applied by Michelangelo. I have also deeply fallen adoration with some iconic Hellenistic statues including one of my favorites, Apollo and Daphne. In any case we are now in Florence and are waking up at 6:30 AM tomorrow (boo) to watch the sun rise over this “underdog” champion of a city. Then we get to see THE DAVID! I still remember being a little girl in Ables learning about all the charms of Italy and this is definitely one of them. Well we are about to watch the old movie I’m referring to in the title of this movie. I hope to write again soon. Stay safe all.

Packing…

Joyce — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 01:51:39 +0000

Ah the birth of a fresh blog.

I leave tomorrow at 2:00 from Spokane, Wa. on my way to Portland, OR. to meet to remainder of our group of Whitworth students as well as our professor, Dr. Richard Strauch. From here we will begin a 9 hour plane ride to Amsterdam which is a hop and a skip away from Rome, Italy where our journey begins. Can I please explain that during this initial month of travel through Italy and Germany, I am only allowed one small carry on and a backpack. Also note that as a result of my girlish habits, this limited amount of space is quite possibly the most terrifying aspect of 2011. While I have shipped a larger bag to Ireland (where I will be living from February- June), I will still more than likely explode of fashion back up after approximately 6.3 days.

In any case, I am thrilled at the prospect of viewing DaVinci originals, the ceiling at the Sistine Chapel, and the remains of the Berlin Wall. I embark on this escapade as a Mathematical Economics and Peace Studies major who hopes to apply my unique perspective on the cities which were once the most politically epic in existence.

Well, I will now continue (or rather begin) the finalities of my packing. Please pray that my bag does not rip at the seams before we cross the Atlantic.